Free The Orchard of Hope by Amy Neftzger

learning that
he may become one himself.
    “I ’ m not sure I
understand, ” Nicholas confessed. “ I ’ m just a
kid. ”
    “No one
is just a kid , ” Moss replied with
emphasis.
    “Especially not
a kid with a gift, ” Newton added.
    “I
don’ t see how I can
help. ”
    “You ’ ll learn. And
you ’ ll have
help. No one expects you to fight the sorcerer
alone, ” said
Moss.
    “W e already know that things respond to you. Living
things are drawn to your life force because they can feel your
ability to do magic, ” Megan explained. “ That spark of life within you is
also the reason you can heal yourself. I could smell it on you, but
the scent was faint because you ’ re untrained and your skills
aren ’ t
developed. ”
    “I ’ m not sure that I really have
any abilities,” Nicholas said. “Just because I can see hands on the
clock ... ”
    “Not everyone
can do that, ” Megan replied. “ The king suspected you had the
gift, but he ’ s
asked us to train you so that you can fully develop it. What you
have right now is more or less potential. ”
    Nicholas looked
around at the group. He wasn ’ t sure what to believe, and he
wasn ’ t
convinced that he was a sorcerer. It sounded preposterous to him.
After all, if he had that kind of ability, wouldn ’ t he already know it? The
thought was overwhelming, so he decided to focus on the lesson and
worry about what it all meant later.
    “What did I
just do with the clock? ” Nicholas asked after some time had passed in
silence.
    “You learned
something, ” Moss answered.
    “What? ”
    “You learned to
be physically present. ”
    “I was here all
along. ”
    “Yes, but you
could be somewhere else also. The fact that you saw all those hands
on the clock shows that you have the ability to be present in a
number of situations at the same time. Moments
aren ’ t mutually
exclusive for you. ”
    “Is it like
daydreaming? ”
    “It ’ s more. You have the potential
to be present somewhere else when you ’ re not physically there. This
means that you may be able to learn to scry and
that ’ s a very
valuable skill. ”
    “Scry? ”
    “Foretell the
future or see things happening in other places in space or
time , ” Newton
replied. “ Gargoyles are very good at it, but most of them
can ’ t do
anything with it because they haven ’ t been brought to life and
can ’ t talk. Although … I did have a distant uncle who used the ability
to pick the winning lottery numbers. He bought a really cool Gothic
church with the money and the parties he threw on the roof were the
best. ”
    “Enough, Newton!” Moss
scolded.
    “I can ’ t tell the
future, ” Nicholas said with conviction.
    “You
can ’ t tell the
future yet, ” Moss said with assurance. “ Since you appear to be a natural
at being present when you ’ re not physically there,
let ’ s give this
a try. We ’ ll
begin by having you pick up objects in the next room while
you ’ re still
here. ”
    Nicholas thought about the task,
which seemed ridiculous, so he glanced at Megan to see if this was
one of Moss' moments of insanity. However, when Megan agreed to
head into the next room and report on Nicholas' progress, he knew
that he was expected to do the impossible.

Chapter
    seven
    The Sea of Laughter

    They spent the
night on the prairie as the group of reapers continued to follow
behind at a short distance. Although Roland had said they were
harmless, Kelsey woke up several times when she heard them
whispering excitedly to one another. Even across the field,
fragments of the whispers bounced over the tall grass and reached
Kelsey ’ s
vigilant ears. Perhaps it was her military training with the
king ’ s soldiers
or her naturally alert disposition, but she repeatedly woke up from
the noise and tried to discern what they were saying. Neither
Roland nor Maggie was affected by the sound. Because she
hadn ’ t slept
well, Kelsey felt unsettled as she walked through the remainder